The 10 Best Plant Apps for Nature Lovers 

Flowers and plants can turn our homes into inviting spaces, enhancing air quality and reducing stress. But how do you take care of them properly? Plant care apps offer a wealth of helpful tips to keep your green space thriving. Perfect for both experts and beginners, here are 10 must-have plant apps for nature lovers.

1. Garden Tags

Garden Tags acts as a social network for gardening enthusiasts. The app is free for both Android and iOS/iPadOS. As a user, you can create an account to share photos of your plants and flowers, follow other gardeners, and get inspired by their posts. Garden Tags lets you ask for advice, search for specific plants using tags, and discover new species. It also offers in-app purchases to unlock extra features like video tutorials on garden care. 

2. PlantNet

Ranking second among plant recognition apps is PlantNet, a free app for Android and iOS/iPadOS. Developed by researchers from Cirad, Inra, Inria, and Ird with support from the Agropolis Foundation, it uses a growing user-contributed botanical database. You can identify plants and flowers using your device’s camera or a gallery photo. For best results, focus on specific parts like leaves or organs.

3. Vera by Bloomscape

Free on iOS and Android, this app offers a detailed database of plant profiles with easy-to-follow care tips, perfect for both casual gardeners and pros. What makes Vera stand out is the ability to create custom profiles for your own plants. You can upload photos, track progress, and keep notes on when to water or fertilize.

4. Seek by iNaturalist

Created by the iNaturalist team with support from the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic, Seek easily helps you identify plants and animals just by taking a photo. The app is free on Android and iOS/iPadOS. Just snap a picture, and Seek uses advanced technology to figure out what you’re looking at. You can use the app without signing up, but creating an account lets you join the iNaturalist community. It’s a simple and fun way to explore nature around you.

5. Gardenia

Available for free on Android and iOS/iPadOS, Gardenia is a handy app for plant lovers. It offers detailed info and gardening tips for over 90,000 plant and flower species. You can create a custom plant list and set reminders for watering, pruning, and more. To look up a plant, all you need to do is tap the flower icon with the plus sign, enter the plant’s name, and pick the right result. If you have the plant in your garden, add it to your list and snap a photo for easy tracking.

6. PictureThis

PictureThis is one of the best plant apps,  offering a database of over one million plants with a 98% accuracy rate. This free app for Android and iOS/iPadOS provides detailed info on various plant species, along with tips and advice. It also flags potential issues like toxicity or health problems, including pests and other concerns.

7. PlantSnap

With a massive database of nearly 600,000 detailed profiles that are updated regularly – adding over 2,000 new species each month – PlantSnap is a powerful tool. The app lets you quickly identify flowers, plants, fungi, and other vegetation just by taking a photo. You can also see identifications made by other users. It’s available for free on Android, iOS, and iPadOS. However, it offers in-app purchases to remove ads and unlock extra features.

8. Plant Parent

Plant Parent comes in handy when checking your plants’ health. It uses AI to spot issues and offers smart reminders to help with plant care. After taking a photo of your plant, the app will analyze it and let you know if your plant is healthy or needs attention. If there are problems, you can see suggested remedies. Keep in mind, though, that full features require a subscription starting at €29.99 per year.

9. Flora Incognita

The Flora Incognita app, developed in collaboration with the Technical University of Ilmenau and the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, specializes in a select range of plant species. Despite its narrower focus, it’s highly accurate. The app can analyze photos you’ve already taken, keeps a history of your scans, and doesn’t require registration. Plus, it’s free for both Android and iOS/iPadOS.

10. Garden Manager

The last on our list of the best plant apps is Garden Manager, available only for Android. It helps you set up custom alerts for garden tasks like watering and fertilizing. You can keep a detailed diary of your gardening activities with photos and notes, and share your progress with friends or get advice from the community. Plus, the app helps you find local florists to add new plants to your collection.